WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2023) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau allegedly told NATO officials that Ottawa would never meet the military spending goal set by the organization, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
Trudeau has allegedly told NATO officials, privately, that Canada will never meet the 2% military spending objective of the organization, the report said, citing a secret assessment in the leaked Pentagon documents.
This situation is harming Canada's ties with its security partners and allies, the report continued, noting the significant military deficiencies of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
According to the documents, the CAF assessed back in February that it would be unable to carry out important operations while maintaining its leadership role in NATO's Latvia-based battlegroup, and further assisting Ukraine in its war effort.
Moreover, a number of Canada's NATO partners have voiced concerns over the situation, with Germany questioning Ottawa's ability to fulfill its pledges to the organization, the report said, adding that Turkey had lamented the CAF's alleged refusal to support the humanitarian aid airlift after the deadly earthquake.
Other non-NATO countries such as Haiti have reportedly expressed their frustration towards Canada, in this case for not leading a proposed multinational security mission to Port-au-Prince.
The report also appears to criticize Canada's Arctic defence capabilities, with NORAD saying the multiple statements and pledges to modernize the system have yet to materialise.
In its 2022-2023 fiscal year, Canada will allocate 1.29% of its GDP, or about C$27 billion, to its military budget. The government aims to increase the annual budget to C$39.7 billion between 2026-2027.
The Canadian military has been facing several challenges over the past years, notably in its recruitment objectives, a problem that was exacerbated by COVID-19 and the vaccine mandate.
The CAF, which is currently short of 10.000 staffers, proposed a recovery plan to achieve the desired number of 101.500 personnel, last year in June, divided between 71.500 active soldiers, and 30.000 reservists.
